In Memoriam – Professor Akihiro Ametani
1944 - 2022
Dr Akihiro Ametani, a Professor Emeritus of Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan, passed away on January 4, 2022 in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. He was born in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, on February 14, 1944. He received the BSc and MSc degrees from Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan, in 1966 and 1968, respectively, and the PhD degree from the University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom, in 1973. He had been actively engaged in power system transients from 1971 as a research assistant and a PhD student of the late Professor Martin Wedepohl at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, UK. He was with the Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, Oregon, USA developing an electromagnetic transient simulation program from 1976 to 1981 and also later in 1992.
Professor Ametani became a Full Professor in 1985 at Doshisha University. He served as the Director of the Institute of Science and Engineering from 1997 to 1999, the Dean of the Library and Computer/Information Center of the same University from 1999 to 2002, and the Chairman of Doshisha Council from 2011 to 2014.
Professor Ametani was a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), and the Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan (IEEJ). In addition, he was a Distinguished Member of the International Council on Large Electric Systems (CIGRE). In 2010, Professor Ametani was awarded a DSc degree from the University of Manchester, in recognition of his significant contributions to the field of power system transients. He authored or co-authored more than 150 international journal papers. His contributions within the area of cable transient calculations are classified as landmark developments and these continue to be the primary reference for the entire international scientific community. Professor Ametani was also heavily involved in the International Conference on Power System Transients (IPST) and was the co-chairman of the Steering Committee.
Professor Ametani was active within CIGRE and his contributions were vast, in particular within the SC C4 domain. He served as the Convenor of the Working Group C4.501 resulting in the publication of CIGRE Technical Brochure 543 “Guideline for Numerical Electromagnetic Analysis Method and its Application to Surge Phenomena”. He was an active member of many other working groups over the years, acting in the capacity of Special Reporter and organizing committee member for various colloquia. More recently, he was the Convener of WG C4.55, on “EMC related very-fast transients in gas-insulated substations — EMC interferences, measured characteristics, modelling and simulations”. He was also the recipient of the Technical Council award in 2007.
He was a great teacher and mentor to many technical experts within the domains of SC C4 (including myself) and we all feel extremely privileged to have known him as an outstanding and friendly colleague in CIGRE.
Zia Emin
SC C4 Chair
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